"Everything got weird" after Vince McMahon's return to WWE, claims 41-year-old star

A 41-year-old star has claimed that things got "weird" in WWE after Vince McMahon made his return to the promotion in 2023. In July of 2022, the former chairman of WWE retired as hush money payment allegations were put against him.

This led to Triple H taking over the creative force in the company, and a number of stars let go by McMahon were rehired. One of the stars that was brought back during this time was Luke Gallows alongside his tag team partner, Karl Anderson.

However, in January 2023, Vince McMahon made a return to the WWE boardroom and once again assumed control of the company. In an interview with PWMania, Gallows opened up about how things felt fresh under HHH, but once McMahon returned, things changed.

"When we came back in October of '22, it felt great. It felt fresh. It felt new. And then, you know, a few short months later, we’re in New York, and we’re getting ready to leave the building, and a limousine pulls up, and we see a mustachioed man pop out, and it was Vince McMahon coming back for the first time," he said.

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Gallows then mentioned that the situation changed after his arrival, with a sale to TKO imminent.

"We happen to see him in the parking garage. And I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors there, but from that point on, everything certainly got weird, whether it was the Vince thing and then the eventual sale to TKO and however that timeline worked, but you know, you could feel again the winds of change," he added.

You can watch the video below:

Vince McMahon would continue to helm the WWE until the Janel Grant lawsuit in 2024 forced him to resign. Since then, he hasn't been back with the promotion.

Several WWE stars attended Vince McMahon's birthday party

Although Vince remains out of WWE, he is still in contact with some of the stars. Recently, it was reported that the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, Kane, and others were in attendance for his 80th birthday party in New York.

Later, it emerged that other names from the current roster, like Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, and The Miz, were also present at the party.

There has been a change in WWE's stance on their talent staying in touch with Vince McMahon, according to Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON).

If you use quotes from this article, please credit PWMania and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Sherjeel Malik